He said the regional watch includes, among other things, monitoring the agricultural campaign, agricultural surveys, and joint missions’ for crop assessment, market monitoring and food situation.
Mr Sanyang made this statement at the opening of a five-day regional seminar on the establishment of the institutional framework and validation of relevant indicators for the analysis of food and nutrition security in the country, held at the NaNA conference hall in Kanifing.
He also disclosed that CILSS had also developed tools and implemented information systems that provide early warning, to prevent food crisis and allow for timely identification of vulnerable populations and risk areas.
The forum, expected to last for five days, was organised by the Department of Planning Service Unit (PSU) under the Ministry of Agriculture in collaboration with CILSS, through the AGRHYMET Regional Center.
Mr Sanyang said food security had always been the major concern of the African countries, especially in West African and Sahelian countries.
That was why it is one of the fundamental pillars of the Permanent Inter-State Committee for Drought Control in the Sahel (CILSS).
According to Sanyang, CILSS through the AGRHYMET Regional Centre, reinforces the capacity of member states to strengthen their decision-making and implementation capacity, particularly in food security.
“These efforts done by CILSS in food security should be supported by an appropriate and adequate information system.”
It was in this context that CILSS, in collaboration with The Gambia through the ECOAGRIS project, is organising the workshop on the establishment of the institutional framework and validation of relevant indicators for the analysis of food and nutrition security in the CILSS/ECOWAS/UEMOA region, he added.
Isatou Drammeh, principal assistant secretary of CONA CILSS, said that in view of the inadequacies of existing information systems, ECOWAS, UEMOA and CILSS, in collaboration with partner institutions, decided to set up an integrated regional system of information on the agricultural sector called “ECOAGRIS”.
The regional agricultural information system aims to improve access to agricultural information at the national and regional level, to facilitate the formulation and monitoring of agricultural policies.
“The regional ECOAGRIS system requires in one hand, a good definition of indicators for the analysis of food security and nutrition in the Sahel and West Africa.”
Moreover, she added, it should be noted that the functioning of this system requires the establishment of a dynamic institutional framework at the regional level and in each of the 17 countries.
According to her, the workshop would focus on the amendment of the management charter, the dissemination of information products, amendment of the document of the National ECOAGRIS Framework (CNE), amendment of the memorandum of understanding between AGRHYMET and the National ECOAGRIS Framework, review of the list of indicators, making the necessary amendments, and adding indicators to take into account of the specific needs of countries.
She thanked CILSS and partners, particularly the European Union, whose financial support spurred the organisation of the workshop, and challenged the participants to map out a way forward.
